Fred Couples proved himself a Masters specialist once again as the 63-year-old became the oldest man to ever make the cut at Augusta.

He sealed his place in the final stages of the major on Saturday morning, completing his second round with a bogey at 18 that gave him a second-round 74 for a one-over-par aggregate.

That was enough for the veteran American, who was champion at the Masters in 1992 and has often been a factor over the weekend in subsequent years.

Forty years since his Masters debut, Couples was relieved to get through to the business end of the tournament, having missed the cut in each of the last four years.

"I played really well the last couple days. I enjoy the place," he said.

Couples played his tee shot on 18 on Friday evening, before play was abandoned when trees began to fall amid stormy Georgia weather.

"I had 230 to the hole. All night long, I thought just make a five," Couples said. "I wasn't even thinking about a four, and I made a five. It's probably the best I could have done unless something crazy happened."

It was cold and wet at Augusta on Saturday, and that was set to make the rest of the day a test of resolve, with third rounds due to get under way.

"Am I going to look thrilled to play 18 holes in this this afternoon?" Couples said. "No, I'm a wimp. I'm an old wimp, but I'm excited to play.

"And I don't wear gloves. So I've got a couple of hours to try to figure out what I'm going to try and do if it stays like this all day long.

"But I am excited to make the cut. That's why I come here. The last four years have been really mediocre golf. Maybe one year I was semi close to making the cut. But that's my objective, and I did it.

"It's not like ha, ha, ha, now I can screw around and play 36 holes for fun. I'm going to try and compete. Play a good pairing with some younger guys and watch them play."

Fellow veterans Larry Mize and Sandy Lyle signed off their Masters careers on Saturday, as the champions of 1987 and 1988 respectively completed their second rounds, missing the cut.

Mize, 64, finished second-last on 15 over par after an 80, while 65-year-old Lyle propped up the leaderboard on 20 over after adding an 83 to his opening 81.

Lyle came out to welcome home Mize at the end of the round.

"That was very special for Sandy to come out and greet me there," Mize said. "Sandy's a good friend, a great champion, and to finish off with him is pretty cool."

N'Golo Kante was omitted as Frank Lampard named his first starting line-up since returning to Chelsea as caretaker manager, with the midfielder rested ahead of the Blues' Champions League trip to Real Madrid.

Lampard opted to make two changes to Chelsea's side for Saturday's Premier League trip to Wolves, introducing England internationals Raheem Sterling and Conor Gallagher.

With Chelsea reverting to a back four after Bruno Saltor used a 3-5-2 system in Tuesday's goalless draw with Liverpool, Ben Chilwell was dropped to the bench and Kante was absent entirely.

Kante made his first Premier League start since last August against Liverpool, having missed the majority of the campaign with a hamstring injury.

However, Lampard played down any concerns regarding Kante's condition before kick-off, telling Sky Sports: "There's no worries with N'Golo. We're fine with him and managing him through. 

"He's been out for a long time so we have a way of managing him. I was aware of that when I was at the club before.

"Then there are a couple of other selection issues, some small concerns, so we have to protect a couple of the players in the squad."

Mason Mount was also absent for the Blues, with reports suggesting the midfielder suffered a recurrence of a previous injury in training on Friday.

The Athletic reported Mount – who has been linked with a move away after failing to agree a new contract with the Blues – could also miss the first leg of Chelsea's quarter-final tie with Madrid.

Chelsea travel to the Santiago Bernabeu to face Carlo Ancelotti's European champions on Wednesday, before welcoming Los Blancos to Stamford Bridge six days later.

Pep Guardiola believes there is still more to come from in-form winger Jack Grealish, who now feels he belongs at Manchester City after taking a season to settle in.

Grealish initially struggled for consistency after making a club-record £100million move from Aston Villa in 2021, but the England man has been excellent for City in recent weeks.

Grealish has already bettered his total of six Premier League goal involvements from last season, contributing to nine goals this term (four goals, five assists) – eight of those coming since the World Cup.

Kevin De Bruyne (20) is now the only City player to have assisted more goals than Grealish's eight across all competitions this season, and he both scored and assisted in last week's 4-1 thrashing of Liverpool.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Guardiola said of Grealish: "He's playing really good this season. But at the same time, like he knows, we want more. You always have the chance to get better and better."

Asked what had changed for the 27-year-old this term, the City boss added: "I think he believes in where he belongs. 

"Now he believes he is part of it. Maybe when he arrived, he thought: 'I'm not good enough after the team won the Premier League'.

"Sometimes players adapt immediately, sometimes they need more time. 

"We knew Jack didn't come here for just one season, he's here for a long time. He's an important player for us."

Sevilla claim they have suffered "alarming" treatment at the hands of LaLiga referees this season and said the number of red cards shown should serve as an "urgent wake-up call" to league chiefs.

In an extraordinary statement issued by the club on Saturday, Sevilla pointed to the team receiving 91 yellows and 11 red cards despite committing just 329 fouls.

That aggregate of 102 cards is the most shown to any team in the Spanish top flight this term, despite 13 teams having more fouls to their name.

Sevilla sat 13th in the table after a 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo on Friday, in which Pape Gueye and Marcos Acuna were both dismissed and a 2-0 lead was relinquished in the closing moments.

This season's performance has been a frustrating one, after three consecutive fourth-placed finishes.

The club stated: "Sevilla FC want to place on record its deep concern and opposition to many of the refereeing decisions taken this season regarding the yellow and red cards issued to our players."

Sevilla said they "cannot agree with many of the decisions regarding the cards issued to our players, which in the long run has seriously harmed us in the league".

No team heading into Saturday's LaLiga games had received more red cards this season than Sevilla (Elche also had 11), while only Real Mallorca had been shown more yellows (98), which might be expected given they topped the fouls table (449).

"On average, one in three fouls committed by Sevilla FC results in a card," the club's statement added.

"Focusing on the match against RC Celta, Sevilla FC committed 11 fouls in the match and received four yellow cards and two reds, while Celta received two yellows for nine fouls committed.

"Sevilla FC are clearly not an aggressive team which is why these statistics are alarming.

"It is clear that many of these cards may have been for protesting, something that all players from all teams do, which shows that there is a lack of consistency in relation to protests or, to put it plainly, an outrageous leniency with some and a heavy-handedness with others."

Heading into Saturday's games, LaLiga had seen 108 red cards this season, compared to 28 in the Premier League, 33 in the Bundesliga, 50 in Serie A and 81 in Ligue 1.

While it used to be customary for LaLiga to see over 100 red cards brandished in a campaign, the three-figure threshold had not been passed in each of the last six seasons, with 103 reds in 2015-16 the last time such a figure was reached.

"The average figures for the Spanish league should lead to an urgent wake-up call," Sevilla added.

"La Liga is by far the league where referees show the most cards. The comparison with the Premier League, where a physical and much more contact-based style is played, speaks for itself: in the Premier League, with more matchdays played, 29 red cards have been shown to date; in La Liga, 108. More than triple.

"This is a striking difference. From Sevilla FC, we demand that these figures be analysed and that measures be taken when the decisions go against the spirit of the game.

"It is not about making excuses for the season the team is having. If Sevilla FC is where it is, it is based on sporting performance throughout the 28 league matches played, but it is about demanding equal treatment for all La Liga clubs and fairness when making decisions, something that unfortunately is not observed anywhere today."

Tennis great Boris Becker has emerged from a spell in prison as "a stronger, better man", having been "humbled" by his conviction for concealing assets last year.

Six-time grand slam singles champion Becker was sentenced to two and a half years in jail last April, having been found guilty of concealing £2.5million worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts when he was declared bankrupt in 2017.

The German was released after serving eight months of his sentence in December and was subsequently deported from the United Kingdom.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Becker said he had learned valuable lessons from his stint inside, where his legendary tennis achievements counted for nothing. 

"Whoever says that prison life isn't hard and isn't difficult I think is lying," Becker said. "I was surrounded by murderers, drug dealers, rapists, people smugglers… by dangerous criminals.

"You fight every day for survival. Quickly you have to surround yourself with the tough boys, as I would call it, because you need protection.

"If you think you're better than everybody else then you lose. It doesn't matter that I was a tennis player. The only currency we have inside is our character and our personality. That's it, you have nothing else.

"You don't have any friends at first – you're literally on your own and that's the hard part. You have to really dig inside yourself about your qualities and your strengths but also your weaknesses."

Becker – who was previously a regular on the BBC's coverage of Wimbledon – reportedly cannot return to the UK until October 2024.

Having worked as a commentator with Eurosport in Germany for the Australian Open earlier this year, Becker is eager to rebuild his reputation. 

"I'm usually good in the fifth set – I've won the first two sets, I've lost the next two and I'm planning to win that," he said.

"It certainly humbled me, it made me realise that whether you're called Boris Becker or Paul Smith, if you break the law, you get convicted and you get incarcerated, that goes for everybody.

"I never expected the good and I certainly didn't expect the bad but I'm a survivor, I'm a tough cookie. 

"I've taken the penalties, I've taken the incarceration but I've also taken the glory and if anything this made me a stronger, better man. With my decisions in the future you can see whether I have learned from it or I didn't."

Fabinho is optimistic Liverpool can replicate their strong finish to the 2020-21 season to secure a top-four Premier League finish this term, declaring: "We are still a big team".

Liverpool sit eighth in the table following a run of three league games without a win, 10 points adrift of Newcastle United and Manchester United in third and fourth respectively, with just 10 matches remaining this campaign.

Having gone close to winning an unprecedented quadruple last term, Liverpool are now in severe danger of missing out on Champions League football for the first time since an eighth-placed finish in 2015-16, but Jurgen Klopp's men have experience of snatching a top-four spot at the last.

Liverpool looked destined to finish outside the top four during an injury-hit 2020-21 season, only to win eight of their final 10 games to end the campaign in third.

Fabinho remains hopeful the Reds can put together a similar run this term, starting with Sunday's meeting with leaders Arsenal.

"We are still Liverpool, we are still a big team," Fabinho told the club's media channels. 

"The hope and the goal is to reach the top four, so if we want this we have to start winning games. It doesn't matter who is in front of us, we just have to try to win. 

"This is the goal. We had a similar situation two seasons ago. We have to keep believing, keep trying. It's not easy – at that moment we we're not too close to the top four.

"But it doesn't matter who the teams in front of us are – we have to try to win our games and the confidence will come back. I hope we will get to the top four."

Klopp's side have won their last six home league games against the Gunners, scoring at least three goals in each of those matches (22 goals in total).

Liverpool have also won five of their last six home Premier League games (D1), and Fabinho believes playing at Anfield could prove decisive against Mikel Arteta's men.

"This season when we play at Anfield, it's usually where we play our best football," he added. 

"We played good games against big teams this season – we beat [Manchester] City, we beat Manchester United at home. 

"So yes, we will try to use the crowd and try to play our best football again because if we don't play, we can't beat Arsenal." 

Mikel Arteta is confident his Arsenal players can cope with the "jungle" atmosphere Liverpool's supporters will generate at Anfield in Sunday's Premier League contest.

Arsenal have won seven Premier League games in a row to retain a healthy lead at the summit, but they have lost each of their past six top-flight visits to Liverpool.

Gunners boss Arteta was captured playing 'You'll Never Walk Alone' during training ahead of Arsenal's most recent trip to Anfield in November 2021, which resulted in a 4-0 loss.

Speaking ahead of his side's latest visit to the red half of Merseyside this weekend, Arteta explained that rather unorthodox ploy.

"You have to prepare the players, you have to tell them what they're going to be facing and you have to recognise that," he said. 

"An error and a mistake comes after an opportunity to do that and develop yourself. You have to expose yourself.

"You cannot train the players in the zoo and then go to the jungle on Sunday. It's impossible."

While Liverpool are struggling down in eighth place, 29 points adrift of Arsenal, they have won five of their past six home league games.

The Reds have won the past three of those games by an aggregate 11-0 scoreline and have not conceded at Anfield in their last seven hours and 26 minutes of league football.

But Arteta believes his side, who are looking to complete their first league double over Liverpool since the 2009-10 campaign, can cope with whatever is thrown at them.

"The team is full of enthusiasm and positivity," he said. "We know that we have a big challenge. 

"But it is a big opportunity to go to Anfield and do something we haven't done in many years and that is what [has been] driving the team the last few days."

Ja Morant allayed concerns about an injury he sustained in Friday's win over the Milwaukee Bucks that secured the second seed in the Western Conference for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Jaren Jackson Jr. top-scored with 36 points as the Grizzlies came from a point down at half-time to comfortably beat the short-handed Bucks 137-114.

Morant finished with 12 points and eight assists despite having to leave the court early in the game following a collision with Jae Crowder.

He was later seen with a protective wrapping on his right arm for a wrist and hand issue, but the 23-year-old dismissed the significance of the injury, saying: "I'm good."

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins confirmed that X-rays had come back negative and revealed Morant should be able to "ice it up and be good to go."

The third quarter was where Memphis effectively won the game, outscoring Milwaukee 37-15, with Jackson crediting it to "better discipline, a little bit more effort."

He added: "We figured it out and I'm glad we did."

After sealing the second seed in the west for a second season in a row, the Grizzlies will have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

"It's very important," Morant said. "We're a very good team at home, so we obviously want that home-court advantage. Definitely big time for us."

Ederson believes Manchester City can make this their greatest ever season by winning a famous treble.

City can reduce Premier League leaders Arsenal's advantage to five points by beating bottom-of-the-table Southampton on Saturday, with the Gunners taking on Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola's side then face Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.

City travel to Bavaria for the second leg on April 19 and face Sheffield United in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley three days later.

Goalkeeper Ederson thinks the Premier League champions have a great chance of getting their hands on all three trophies.

The Brazil international told Sky Sports: "I think for me personally it has been a good season but for the team as well.

"We are still in three competitions and that is really important. We are still capable of winning them all.

"In the Premier League, we are behind Arsenal but with a game in hand and a game against them at home, so we are still in the race. In the Champions League, we have a really difficult game against Bayern Munich, a good team with experience in the competition.

"In the FA Cup, we are facing a Sheffield United team that are having a really good season in the Championship.

"But we are still alive in all those competitions and the team feels in a good way. We started the season really well, had that little dip, but now it feels like we are back to our best, and if we keep that up until the end of the season, I think we have a really good chance in all three competitions."

Anthony Joshua is hoping to carry momentum from his victory over Jermaine Franklin by returning to the ring within the next three months.

Two-time heavyweight champion Joshua ended a two-fight losing streak with last weekend's unanimous points triumph over Franklin at London's O2 Arena.

Joshua went eight months between losing his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia and facing Franklin, but he does not expect the gap to be as long this time around.

"It's been nine months since I was last in the ring and I don't want to leave it that long again," he told BBC's One Show.

"I want to get back in there in the next three months, I'd say, and just kind of get the ball rolling."

Tyson Fury has been touted as the most obvious next opponent for Joshua, who called out his countryman after overcoming Franklin 118-111, 117-111, 117-111.

"I know who the fans want – they said Fury. The ball is in his court," Joshua told DAZN in his in-ring interview.

"I would 100 per cent be honoured to compete for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world. I stand here and I say that proudly. It would be an honour."

Drawn-out talks between the camps of Joshua and Fury have broken down on multiple occasions in the past.

Joe Joyce and Dillian Whyte have both called out Joshua over the past week, but the 33-year-old is still pondering his next opponent.

"I'm definitely going to be fighting in the next three months. But against who? It's still unknown," he said.

Jurgen Klopp accepts Liverpool's season has not been good enough but insists neither he nor his players are worse than last year.

Liverpool have collected one point from their past three Premier League matches and are down in eighth in the Premier League, 10 points adrift of the top four with leaders Arsenal to come on Sunday.

The Reds not only face missing out on the Champions League places for the first time in seven full seasons under Klopp, they will also finish the campaign trophyless.

It is a far cry from 12 months ago when they had already won the EFL Cup and were in contention for three other trophies, albeit ultimately only adding the FA Cup to their collection.

Klopp, who has regularly bemoaned his side's injury issues this season, is confident Liverpool can come back stronger with some smart recruitment in the transfer window.

"It is one of these moments where it is really not good – I am not native so I can't explain it better in English," he said of his side's season to date.

"You get in this whirlwind and it sucks you in that direction and all of a sudden it's like, 'wow, where are we?'

"I am not a worse manager than last year, definitely not. It doesn't mean the outcome is good enough, not at all. But I'm not worse.

"And the players are not worse players. They just play worse. That's definitely the case. But yes, with smart recruitment we will improve – definitely. That is the plan."

Liverpool have been linked with numerous players, Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham among them, but Klopp is realistic about what is possible in terms of strengthening his squad.

"The difference is whatever we do next year will never be enough from people's point of view and your [the media's] point of view," he said.

"We cannot make 24 changes and say, 'here we go' – not even 10 [changes]. But it is just that we have to make changes, smart changes, and then we go again.

"We have other moments when we think about what happens next year but this is not the moment."

Sunday's opponents Arsenal provide a source of inspiration for Klopp, the Gunners having gone from finishing fifth last season to leading the division this time around.

"I said last week that I hate the fact that I have to rely on what we did in the past," Klopp said. "I couldn't care less what we did in the past, honestly. 

"But because we can't ignore the past, it's not like we can't forget it, but if we go through this together we can have a massive benefit next year, not guaranteed but a good chance.

"So it is like it is still hidden somewhere there and we have to let it out again. Next chance for us [to do that] is Arsenal."

LeBron James feels "it is pretty cool" the Los Angeles Lakers will finish with a winning record this season after a dismal start.

The Lakers are not assured of making the playoffs, seventh in the Western Conference and set for the play-in tournament as things stand, but they are 42-39 and will finish above .500.

This comes after the Lakers started 0-5 and then 2-10, records James recalled after Friday's 121-107 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

"I was just telling AD [Anthony Davis] – I was like, 'man, can you believe that we're going to finish this season above .500? After everything that's gone on this season?'" James said.

"We've turned this thing around. And it's the regular season, obviously – there's a lot more basketball to be played – but to know that we're going to finish a few games above .500? It's pretty cool."

Darvin Ham is in his first year as a head coach and has had to cope without James for 27 games and Davis for 26.

But he is slightly more reluctant to yet reflect on a job well done, adding: "Our work is not done by a long shot.

"It'll be great at some point to think back, but hopefully I'll be thinking about this first year after we're holding the trophy or something.

"In the short form, it's a lot to be proud of. And in the long form, we've got more work to do."